I want MORE!!!

Greed, according to the World English Dictionary is defined as the excessive consumption of or a desire for food; gluttony OR excessive desire, as for wealth or power. BP Oil, who after a massive oil spill occurred on the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, forbid the cleanup workers from wearing masks or respirators while raking up huge globules of oil and rescuing sick and dying animals. BP (British Petroleum) claimed that wearing masks (even after cleanup workers and fisherman complained of burning eyes, difficulty breathing and constricting throats) would cause hysteria, be a public relations nightmare and might cause people to boycott BP. What would drive an individual or a company to do such things? Greed. More, more, more. Obviously, these are both excessive examples of insatiability, right? You'd probably never, ever act in such an over the top, self-serving way, right? Ha!! :) What about grabbing that last piece of chocolate cake before anyone else grabs it? What about being all about getting that new XBox or the very latest iPhone?  Xbox's and iPhones are lovely, and there's nothing wrong with them, but have you ever stopped to think about the family down the street that can't afford to buy groceries? Or Christmas presents? What about forgoing a few presents in exchange for making a donation to a great charity? All of those things counter greed. (And about the piece of chocolate cake, you could actually leave that last piece for your little brother. It wouldn't hurt.) Here are a few links to some local charitable organizations: www.srmission.org  Santa Rosa's Redwood Gospel Mission Hope and Help for the Homeless www.srcharities.org Serving the Santa Rosa area with homeless services, transitional housing, immigration, and Alzheimer's Respite. www.cityteam.org  CityTeam Ministries is a non-profit organization serving the poor and homeless in in San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Portland, Philadelphia and we are training and planting churches in 82 countries around the world. Take time to look up a homeless shelter in your own neck of the woods and see how you can help. While you're at it, say out loud, based on Deuteronomy 24:17: "I will not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.  I will remember that I was a slave in Egypt and the LORD my God redeemed me from there..". God doesn't care about us having more stuff at the expense of others. He has pretty clear instructions for us in Deuteronomy 19-21: When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. 21 When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow.